Michigan Football Series: Defensive Line Technique & Drills

with Shaun Nua,
USC Defensive Line Coach;
University of Michigan Defensive Line Coach from 2019 to 2021;
2021 Big Ten East Division Co-Champs;
Defensive Line Coach at Arizona State in 2018 and at Navy from 2012 to 2017 ;
played at BYU;
drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2005 NFL draft

Michigan football has a rich tradition of success on defense and much of that is thanks to a defensive line that stuffs up the run game and consistently gets pressure on opposing passers. In this video, you'll get a look at some of the drills and techniques that Michigan Defensive Line Coach Shaun Nua uses with his own players in order to make sure they are some of the best in college football.

Defensive Line Fundamentals

Coach Nua begins this presentation with a description of his philosophy of coaching in terms of creating the right environment for players to reach their potential. He also emphasizes that 'one-size does not fit all' in coaching. Therefore, coaches need to be flexible and able to adapt to meet the needs of their players and team.

Next, Nua demonstrates, using practice footage, the stance and alignments that he teaches his players at Michigan. Several drills are shown that teach the get-off and hand placement required for elite players. In all, you'll learn:

• Stance and alignments.
• How to coach the get-off in several unique ways that will carry over to games.
• Hand placement, strike, and shed in several competitive drills.

Teaching the Pass Rush

Coach Nua continues by detailing the pass rush techniques and skills used at the University of Michigan. He details how defensive linemen must attack the offensive lineman they are rushing, then adjust their path based on the OL's movement. Nua also shows several drills that teach the finer points of footwork and pass rush moves that both interior and edge rushing defensive linemen can use to defeat blocks and attack the QB. You'll get several examples of "counter" moves that defensive linemen must be able to execute when their initial pass rush move doesn't work.

Overall, this is an excellent video presentation of defensive linemen technique. Coach Nua shares several great drills and many excellent coaching points that will help any defensive line coach become a better teacher of the game!

66 minutes. 2019.